I am officially done with my Invisalign journey! Time flies when your smile is improving apparently. Well, that and a growing toddler and belly with baby #2. The entire process was a piece of cake thanks to the I-Orthodontics team, and I’m over the moon with how my smile looks!
A little back story refresher for those who are new around here. I never had braces growing up. My teeth were “straight” and I was never really unhappy with my smile up until I had my wisdom teeth removed in my 20’s. That was when I started to notice my bottom teeth shifting, leaving spaces between them. On top of that, I noticed how off my bite was, making my smile look uneven.
I finally decided to take the plunge and get Invisalign to fix these things, mainly because I was 110% confident in the I-Orthodontics team after my first consultation with them. The technology they have to show you what your teeth currently look like, vs what they will look like after treatment was such a treat! Here are some photos from that first visit:
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions I’ve received about my Invisalign experience over the past year:
How long did you have to wear the trays?
I had my first appointment with I-Orthodontics in July 2019, and started my first set of trays a few weeks later. I just finished my last set of trays this week! So July 2019 – September 2020, so about 14 months!
Was it painful?
Because we wanted to fix my bite and pull my teeth down on the right side, I had attachments on my teeth and wore rubber bands. That was the most uncomfortable part at first, mostly because the inside of my lip was super irritated with something new being in there basically 24/7. After about a week that discomfort went away.
In general, after the first day I started a new set of trays, I would wake up feeling a little sore, but it never felt painful.
How many hours a day did you wear them?
I was very good about wearing my trays most of the day, and then sleeping in them. I would say 99% of the time I only took them off to drink coffee or eat.
Do you have to wear a retainer after you’re done?
Yes! I guess you’re never really truly “done” with braces or Invisalign. Right now I’m wearing a retainer for 3 months, all day everyday (just like I did with my trays), and then I will switch to just wearing my retainers when I sleep, forever. I don’t really mind wearing them while I sleep, because I’m pretty sure I used to grind my teeth. So it gives me comfort knowing I’m not doing that, and that my smile is staying straight and pretty.
Your teeth looked straight already! Do you notice a difference?
The smallest changes can truly make the biggest difference. Although others might not have thought I needed Invisalign or that my bite was off, the point was that I noticed and I wanted to be more confident in my smile. This was something that I had been wanting since I was in my early 20’s, and I am SO happy with the results and without a doubt, I notice a big difference.
Okay, so now for before and afters! I couldn’t get my scans at the end of treatment due to pregnancy, but here’s a picture of me smiling instead of the go-to smirk.
If you’ve read this and are still on the fence about Invisalign treatment, I highly recommend going to I-Orthodontics for a consultation, because they’ll have you convinced within 10 minutes! Dr. I is truly the best, and will make sure not only you are happy with the end result, but he is happy as well. If you do decide you want to go to I-Ortho for a consultation and move forward with treatment, use my code JAMIE for a free consultation and $250 off treatment!